President Trump is pushing back against the Democratic Party's hysterical rhetoric and seeking to install an administration staffed by prominent gay and lesbian Americans.
“When it comes to whether you're gay or straight, whether you're black or white, and all these metrics that other people calculate, President Trump is indecisive. He doesn't know what job you're going to do. They're making decisions based on how much money they have,” said Bill White, Trump's top fundraiser and nominee for U.S. ambassador to Belgium.
From a selection of:
- Scott Bessent, 62, Secretary of the Treasury. If confirmed, the hedge fund manager would become the highest-ranking openly gay official in U.S. history.
- Rick Grenell, 58, Presidential Special Envoy. He served as Director of National Intelligence during President Trump's first term.
- Tammy Bruce, 62, the new State Department spokeswoman, was a Fox News contributor.
- Jacob Helberg, 35, Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and Environment.
- Bill White, 57, Ambassador to Belgium.
- Art Fisher, 49, Ambassador to Austria.
And at least 10 prominent LGBT Americans are slated to serve in key government positions, one Trump official said.
“This time the Velvet Mafia will be big,” he said.
Gay and lesbian officials during President Trump's first term included Randy Berry, the ambassador to Nepal; james abbott He was nominated by President Trump to serve on the Federal Labor Relations Board.
“I sit here knowing that President Trump chose me not because of my sexual orientation, but because he believes I am the best candidate,” Bessent said during his confirmation hearing Thursday. “There is,” he said. “I think this is a tribute to the way President Trump sees people as human beings.”
New York City's top Democratic lawmaker, who is gay, said he was satisfied with his selection.
“That's a good thing, and I hope they can have some influence on issues that may arise around equal rights, marriage and respect for transgender rights,” the Democrat said.
Trump's appointment is up in the air in the face of stark warnings from Democratic LGBT activists during the 2024 campaign.
In January, philadelphia inquirer It quoted an anonymous gay man who said he was buying guns because he feared “being thrown into a concentration camp.”
“The freedom to love those we love openly and proudly” is at stake, Vice President Harris warned.
“President Trump's first term was terrible for LGBTQ+ Americans, and his second term will be even worse,” said Kathryn Oakley, senior director of legal policy at the Human Rights Campaign.
